Thousands of protestors took to the snowed-in streets of South Korean capital Seoul on Sunday to rally both for and against the arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, as the crisis-hit nation heads towards a high-stakes confrontation. The arrest warrant for Yoon, issued due to his refusal to comply with summons for investigation, is set to expire at midnight (1500 GMT) on Monday. On Friday, dozens of the agency's officials and police officers attempted to arrest Yoon from his residence but were thwarted by the South Korean military and presidential security. An intense five-hour stand-off ended with the agency officials retreating to figure out their next step. As the deadline for the arrest warrant approaches, another stand-off seems imminent.
Anti-Yoon protests
Hundreds of protesters rallied overnight into Sunday near Yoon's residence, with the temperature dropping to minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit). They called for his ouster and arrest, supporting the authorities' efforts to detain the leader over his martial law debacle. "We have to reestablish the foundation of our society by punishing the president who has denied the constitution," said Yang Kyung-soo, leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a major labor group that took part in the protests. "We must bring down the criminal Yoon Suk Yeol and arrest and detain him as soon as possible," he said.
There was no indication that anti-corruption investigators and police were sending officers back into Yoon's residence on Sunday. Over the weekend, staff from the presidential security team were seen preparing for another attempt at an arrest, placing barbed wires near the gate and along the hills leading up to the residence.
Pro-Yoon demonstrations
Not far from the anti-Yoon protests were groups of supporters who held banners reading "We will fight for President Yoon Suk Yeol." Other placards read "Stop the Steal" — a phrase popularized by US President-elect Donald Trump's supporters after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
They were denouncing his impeachment and pledging to block any efforts to detain him.
A legal struggle ensues
Behind the scenes of discontent on the streets, authorities from both sides are attempting to legally strong-arm their opponents. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which leads Yoon's criminal investigation, has asked acting President Choi Sang-mok to order the presidential security service to comply with the arrest warrant. Choi has not commented on the matter. Higher officials of the security service ignored summonses on Saturday from police, who planned to question them over Friday's events. Arresting Yoon while he remains in his official residence under their protection seems "virtually impossible” according to the anti-corruption agency. They are currently weighing charges of rebellion after Yoon briefly imposed martial law on December 3 which was then overturned within hours. Meanwhile Yoon's lawyers have challenged the detention and search warrants, relying on a law that protects locations which may have military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge, i.e. Yoon. They also argue that anti-corruption officers do not have the authority to investigate Yoon's rebellion charges and police officers do not have the authority to assist his arrest. SOURCE: DW
